40d:Bars

(For metal bars, see smelting or metal.)

Bars are a grill or grate of strong poles that prevent the passage of everything but liquids and light. A portcullis or classic barred prison door is a good example. No creature or object can pass through bars*, although in a future version this behaviour may be altered slightly (see below). Bars can be used vertically as walls or on a flat surface as floor grates.

Bars can be used to block off channels intended for the passage of water, or magma if they are built from magma-safe materials, whether to keep dwarves from falling in or to keep bad creatures from invading along them. They share much in common with fortifications, which can also be used for the same purpose. Bars can also be fired through like fortifications by marksdwarves and [siege|enemies] alike, and provide no protection for either (unlike fortifications).

However, they can be linked to a lever, allowing them to retract when the mechanism is activated, either by pulling or pressure plate.

Usage

Bars are first manufactured in a forge by a dwarf with the metalsmith labor (similar to a door or hatch). Bars can only be made from "bars" of a material, which are usually metal, although ashes and coal are also "bars", and can be used just as well - currently^{v0.28.181.40d} any material is as strong as any other. Bars take only one bar of material in order to be manufactured.

Once manufactured, they are then placed by the the building menu with the furniture hauling labor. They can be constructed as either "vertical bars" (for walls) or horizontal "floor grates" (for floors). The hotkey for vertical bars is B, and for floor grates the hotkey is Alt + b. Floor bars can only built where there is no floor, which is removed by digging a channel or making a down stairway.

Future

Bars are currently^{v0.28.181.40d} identical in function to grates but distinctions will be made in the future. More specifically, bars may allow for the free passage of verminous creatures while blocking the passage of larger creatures. Bars may even allow small or narrow creatures (such as cats) to pass through. Grates will likely prevent the passage of any but the smallest vermin. Bars may also allow items to fall through, whereas grates would not.

(* Note - there is a known bug^{v0.28.181.40d} that allows flowing liquids to, occasionally, "push" creatures through bars, grates and fortifications. Bars and fortifications still work as intended with non-flowing liquids.)

See "Re: Grates/bars"

See also

• Grate

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